The Project Rx Story

In early 2010, a group of local organizations gathered together to discuss an issue that hadn’t yet been acknowledged in the Upstate: proper medication disposal.

Several months later, the initial collaboration resulted in the first Project Rx: A River Remedy collection event in November 2010. For the first time, Greenville County residents were provided with a safe alternative for disposing of unused prescription drugs. More than 400 pounds of medications were collected and disposed of safely.

The original Project Rx planning partners included Bon Secours St. Francis Health System, Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, Greenville County Medical Society, Greenville Family Partnership, Greenville Technical College, Renewable Water Resources and the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

While each organization has their own reasoning for participating in Project Rx – be it environmental protection, pharmaceutical education or drug abuse prevention – they all had the same ultimate purpose: to safely dispose of unused medications to keep our community safe and healthy.

The traditional drug take back days continued for several years, collecting 10,866 lbs of medication over the span of nine events. While the traditional events continued to be highly successful, the individuals behind Project Rx sought to expand the initiative even further.

In 2016, the first permanent Project Rx drug disposal bin opened at Greenville Memorial Hospital to allow a convenient disposal option for community residents, open 24/7. Because of our partnership with Greenville Health System, we are continuing to add more drop-box bins around Greenville County to better serve the community. To find a drug disposal bin near you, visit our Locations page.

While the face of Project Rx has evolved, our goals remains the same: to offer the Upstate community a free and safe way to properly dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

To stay up to date with current Project Rx happenings, check back to our website or follow @ARiverRemedy on social media.